Cut indicator for casing cutters



Aug 1, 1939 J. s. BECK CUT INDICATOR FOB CSING CUTTEHS Filed April 27,1957 .Julius AS Be ck...

fnvenor:

Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES Z,lt7,739

FATENT OFFQIE Julius S. Beck, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to JohnGrant, Los` Angeles, Calif.

Application April 27, 1937, Serial No. 139,134

5 Claims.

'Ihis invention has to do in a general way with tools for cutting orperforating well casings, while in place in the Well, and has as itsprimary object the provision of a means and a method for indicating whenthe cutter or cutters of such a tool have been extended a predeterminedamount suflicient to complete a cutting operation.

As is Well known to those familiar with the art, the so-called insidecasing cutter is a tool designed to be lowered into a well casing to apredetermined point by means of a drill pipe or the like, where it maybe operated to sever the wall of the casing.

These devices, as usually constructed, comprise a body member formed oftwo relatively movable sections, and having a cutter or a plurality ofcutters interposed between the body sections so that the cutters arelaterally extended from the body during relative movement of the bodysections, Releasable means are provided for supporting one of thesections against vertical movement within the casing, and after the onesection has been supported against vertical movement the other sectionis moved by the suspending member such as a drill pipe, to effect theextension or projection of the cutter. In the event the cutter is usedas an annular cutter, in which the wall of the pipe is completelysevered, it is necessary that the body be adapted for a rotary movementwhich will rotate the cutter in the casing as well as the relativemovement which is necessary to extend the cutter into engagement withthe casing wall. In the event the device is used as a perforator, thisrotary movement of the tool is not necessary.

Since considerable time and labor is consumed in removing the drill pipeand tools from the well, and since it may some times be desired to cutthe casing at several different points without removing the tool fromthe well, there is a need for some means for giving a sensibleindication at the surface of the ground when the cutter or cutters arefully extended to the point where the operator knows penetration throughthe casing wall is co-mplete. It is the satisfaction of this need whichforms the underlying object of my invention. i

In accomplishing the foregoing object, my invention contemplates a toolprovided with means for circulating a uid such as water or oiltherethrough, such fluid being pumped through the supporting tubing andpassing outwardly through suitable discharge openings in the toolitself. The tool is provided with a circulating passage and a valve,such valve being arranged so that it is positively closed to shut offthe circulation of fluid when the cutters have been extended by apredetermined relative movement of the body sections.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool with valvemeans of the class described which may be adjusted to take care ofcasings of different size and wall thickness. As soon as the circulationhas been cut off in a tool of the type contemplated by this invention,the operator knows, from the action of the pump or from a suitable gageon the delivery line, that the cutters have been fully extended and hemay then remove the tool from the well or advance it to a differentposition therein Incident to the general object pointed out above, myinvention contemplates, as an additional object to the preferred formthereof, a tool in which the discharge of the circulating liquid takesplace at a point below the cutting blade or blades. In this way theupward circulation of the uid past the cutter tends to carry thecuttings out of the Well. f

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention,together with other objects attending its production, will be bestunderstood from the following description of the accompanying drawingwhich is chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing an inside casing cutter equippedwith a preferred embodiment of my invention, the casing cutter beingshown in its extended position for lowering into a well with the cuttersand the holding means retracted;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 1

but showing the casing cutter in the position which it occupies afterhaving been lowered into a casing and collapsed to fully extend thecutters to sever the casing;

Fig. 3 is a plan section taken in a plane represented by the line 3 3 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan section taken in a plane represented by the line 4--4of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a plan section taken in a plane represented by the line 5-5 ofFig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a portion of thedevice shown in Fig. l and taken along the line 6 5 of that figure.

Referring now to the drawing for a more detailed description of theinvention, the cutting tool is shown as comprising a telescoping bodywhich is generally indicated by the reference letter B. The body B isshown as comprising an upper body section U and a lower body section L.A portion of the lower body section L carries a releasable mechanism forengaging the interior of a casing to support the lower body sectionagainst vertical downward movement, such mechanism being generallyindicated by the reference letter H. The upper body section is adaptedto receive a suspending and operating member in the form of a drill pipeor operating tube, indicated at P.

The upper body section U is shown as comprising a top tting I I whichhas a passage I2 therethrough, and is chambered in its lower portion asindicated at I3, the lower edge of the chambered section being threadedas indicated at I4 to engage a cutter supporting block I5.

The cutter supporting block I5 is provided with a recess or a pluralityof recesses I6 to receive a cutter or cutters I1 pivotally supported ona pin I8.

The lower body section L is shown as comprising what I may term a cutteractuating block 20 which has an upwardly extending stem 2I slidablycontained within a passage 22 in the block I5, such stem being threadedat its upper end as indicated at 23 to receive a stop nut 24, whichengages the top of the block I5 and holds the upper and lower bodysections in assembed relation. In addition to the block member 20, thelower body section L includesa downwardly extending hollow mandrel 25,which is threaded into the lower end of the block 20 as indicated at 26.

The block 20 is provided with a recess (or a plurality of recesses) 21,situated in alinement with the recess (or recesses) I6. The recess 21has a curved inner face 28 which is adapted to engage the rear face ofthe cutter |11 to project the same laterally from the body when the twobody sections are collapsed. The two body sections U and L are heldagainst relative rotation so that the recesses I6 and 21 are always inalinement by means of a tongue and slot con necton or a plurality oftongue and slot connections, shown as comprising a tongue 30 on theupper block I5 and a slot 3| in the lower block 20.

The two body sections are normally held in fully extended position bymeans of a heavy compression spring 33, which is situated in the chamberI3 between the nut 24 and the shoulder I3 in the top of the chamber.

The holding mechanism I-I is comprised of pipe engaging slips 40,supported in ways 4I on a slip expanding collar 42 which is rotatablymounted on the mandrel section 25 below a bearing shoulder 25. Frictionrings of any suitable type may be interposed between the collar 42 andthe shoulder 25', such rings being indicated by ref erence numeral 45and the collar 42 may be provided with a stop plate indicated byreference numeral 41.

The slips 4I) are actuated by means of links 40 having their lower endspivotally attached to a slip actuating collar 43, slidably mounted onthe lower end of the mandrel section 25. The collar 43 is held withinthe casing, to eiect actuation of the slips by downward movement of themandrel 25 with respect tothe collar 43, by means of conventional bowsprings 48 having their lower ends attached to the collar 43 asindicated at 49, and having their upper ends attached to a second collar50, which Pis slidably mounted on the upper portion of the mandrelmember 25. Suitable releasable means, which will be later described, areprovided for the purpose of holding the collar and the bow springs 48 inextended relation with respect to the mandrel 25, but it will be seenthat when the collar 43 is released with the tool suspended in a casing,the friction of the spring members 48 against the inside of the casingwill hold the collar 43 against the movement. Upon further downwardmovement of the body member, which includes downward movement of themandrel section 25, the slip expanding collar 42 travels downwardly withrespect to the slips 40 and forces them out into engagement with theiasinzg where they occupy the position shown in It was previouslypointed out as the principal object of this invention to provide a toolof the class described which would give a sensible indication to theoperator at the surface of the ground as soon as the cutters I1 had beenfully extended so that the operator would know when the cuttingoperation had been completed. It was also pointed out that this objectin the present embodiment of my invention is accomplished by pumping acirculating liquid such as water or oil or the like into the operatingpipe P at the surface of the ground and passing such uid through thebody of the tool during such time as the cutters were being extended andproviding means for positively shutting oitV this circulating fluid assoon as the cutters had been extended the desired amount to give asensible indication through the rise in pressure in the circulatingsystem.

In the present embodiment of my invention the object just discussedabove is accomplished by providing the top tting I I of the upper bodysection U, with a fluid circulating conduit indicated by referencenumeral 51. This fluid circulating conduit slidably extends through theelements in the lower body section L so that its lower end 51 projectsbelow the lower end of the mandrel member 25. The lower end of theconduit or tubing member 51 is provided with a collar or seat member 58having a valve seating surface 59 surrounding the outlet of a passage 60therein, which communicates with the bore of the conduit member 51.Mounted on the collar member 43 and surrounding the valve seat tting 58is what I may term a box 62. The chamber 63 of this box contains thetting 58 and the discharge portion of the conduit 51, and thecirculating system for fluid through a tool of the type of thischaracter is completed by providing the box 62 with a plurality ofoutlet ports, indicated generally by reference numeral 64.

Since the fitting 58 is attached to the upper body section U and sincethe box member 32 constitutes a portion of the holding mechanism which,when the tool is in cutting operation supports the lower body section Lagainst downward movement, it will be seen that during a cuttingoperation the upper body section U and the tting 58 will traveldownwardly with respect to the box member 62. In the present embodimentof my invention I take advantage of this fact to provide valve means forpositively closing or cutting off the fluid circulating system at apredetermined point in the collapsing movement of the two body sections.The point at which the valve is closed also determines the extent towhich the body section may be collapsed and as a consequence, the extentto which the cutter is projected. This action is accomplished byproviding an upwardly tapered plug or valve member 61 in the bottom ofthe box 62 and in axial alinement with the passage through the conduit51. 'I'he plug 61 and the seat 59 constitute a valve for closing thefluid circulating passage.

This plug Amember 6Fl -is shown as 'being threaded into an o-pening 68inthe `bottom of the box member 62, and is shown having .a socket 65whereby it may be vertically adjusted. For the purpose of locking theplug member in various positions of vertical adjustment, I Vmay employ allocking screw indicated fat 1li.

As I have .previously pointed out, some means must `be `provided forfreleasably locking the holdn ing member and the 'two body sections inextended relation so that the fslips and the cutters are normally heldin retracted position. In this embodiment of my invention, this isaccomplished by providing the .tting 58 with external threads 'l2adapted to engage the threads in the opening through the collar member43. These threads are preferably left-hand or opposite in direction tothe threads used in the connections making up the remainder of theassembly. Also the threads 'l2 are preferably of relatively high pitchso that they can be easily released by rotating the supporting pipe P.

In operation, the unit, assembled and set in the manner illustrated inFig. 1, is lowered into the well casing to the desired point where it isrotated to release the threads T2. The disengagement of the threads 'l2is effective to draw the conduit member 51 downwardly with respect tothe holding means I-I. In this regard it should be pointed out that thecompression spring 33 is of suihcient strength to hold the two bodysections in extended relation unless a considerable force is applied tothe fitting Il with the lower body section L held stationary. Thedownward movement of the conduit member 51 and its associated upper bodysection U is therefore effective, through the action of the upper bodysection upon the compression spring, to impart corresponding movement tothe lower body section L, which, through the action of the shoulder 25'forces the slip expanding collar i2 downwardly between the slips 40 andexpands them out into gripping engagement with the inner surface of thecasing.

When the threads 12 are disengaged, it will be seen that the member 58drops down to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, and through suchaction the lower body section, with its expanding collar 42, iseffective to force the slip out to its expanded position. When the unitis suspended in a casing indicated at C in Fig. 2, the extension of theslips is effective to grip the casing and thereby form a support for thelower body section L. When the tool has been set, in the casing in thisway, the weight of the pipe P is permitted to bear upon the upper bodysection U, and at the same time the pipe P is rotated. This is eifectiveto collapse the upper and lower body sections U and L against thecompressive action of the spring 33. This relative movement of the twobody sections forces the cutter l? downwardly along the curved surface28, so that it is projected laterally from the body into cuttingengagement with the casing as the body is rotated.

During all of this operation, a suitable iiuid such as oil or water isbeing pumped through the pipe P, such fluid passing outwardly throughthe opening 63 in the shoe 62 and flowing upwardly around the cuttingtool. When the unit has been collapsed to its fullest extent, it will beobserved that the seat 59 in the seating member 53 engages the valvesurface on the plug 67 and shuts off the continued circulation, suchaction being registered by a sudden increase in pressure in thecirculating system at the surface of the ground. The plug 6I is set bythe operator so that it is engaged by the member B when the cutter l1has been exten-ded the required amount to sever the particular casingbeing worked upon. It will thus be seen that the closure of thecirculating passage in this manner gives, and the attending rise inpressure in the circulating system gives, a positive indication to theoperator that .the cut has been completed.

For the purpose of limiting the relative movement of the holding means Hwith respect toits supporting mandrel member 25, I may provide thismandrel member with stop rings or 4lugs .in-

dicated by `reference numerals 'l5 and 16, such y lugs being adapted forengagement with the collar members 5b and 43 respectively at the twolimits of movement.

It is to be understood that while I have herein described andillustrated one preferred form. of my invention, the invention is notlimited to the precise construction described above but includes withinits scope whatever changes fairly come within the spirit of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A casing cutting tool embodying: a body comprised of upper and lowerbody sections telescopically connected; a cutter interposed between saidbody sections and adapted to be projected laterally from said body whensaid body sections are collapsed, means for supporting said lower bodysection in a casing to be cut; a fluid circulating pipe mounted in saidupper body section and slidably extending through said lower bodysection; and valve means at the lower end of said pipe adapted to beclosed when said body is collapsed to project said cutter.

2. A casing cutting tool embodying: a body comprised of upper and lowerbody sections telescopically connected; a cutter interposed betweensai-d body sections and adapted to be projected laterally from said bodywhen said sections are collapsed; a fluid circulating conduit mounted insaid upper body section and extending through said lower body section;means including a box slidably supported on the bottom of said lowerbody section for supporting said lower body section in a casing to beout, said box receiving the lower end of said circulating conduit andhaving fluid outlets therein; and valve means associated with the bottomof said conduit and said box for closing said conduit when said body iscollapsed.

3. A casing cutting tool embodying: a body comprised of upper and lowerbody sections telescopically connected; a cutter interposed between saidbody sections and adapted to be projected laterally from said body whensaid sections are collapsed; a uid circulating conduit mounted in saidupper body section and extending through said lower body section; meansincluding a box slidably supported on the bottom of said lower bodysection for supporting said lower body section in a casing to be out,said box receiving the lower end of said circulating conduit and havinguid outlets therein; valve means associated with the bottom of saidconduit and said box for closing said conduit when said body iscollapsed, and means for releasably locking said body sections inextended relation.

4. A casing cutting tool embodying: a body comprised of upper and lowerbody sections telescopically connected; a cutter interposed between saidbody sections and adapted to be projected laterally from said body whensaid sections are collapsed; a fluid circulating conduit mounted in saidupper body section and extending through said lower body section; meansincluding a box slidably supported on the bottom of said lower bodysection for supporting said lower body section in a casing to be cut,said box receiving the lower end of said circulating conduit and havinguid outlets therein; a seat member mounted on the bottom of saidconduit; and a valve plug in said box adapted to engage said seat andclose said circulating conduit when said body is collapsed.

5. A casing cutting tool embodying: a body comprised of upper and lowerbody sections telescopically connected; a cutter interposed between saidbody sections and adapted to be projected laterally from said body whensaid sections are collapsed; a fluid circulating conduit mounted in saidupper body section and extending through said lower body section; meansincluding a box slidably supported on the bottom of said lower bodysection for supporting said lower body section in a casing to be cut,said box receiving the lower end of said circulating conduit and havingfluid outlets therein; a seat member mounted on the bottom of saidconduit; a valve plug in said box adapted to engage said seat and closesaid circulating conduit when said body is collapsed, and threads onsaid seat member adapted for engagement with said box to hold saidsections and said box against relative longitudinal movement.

JULIUS S. BECK.

